Rules intended to manage increasing attendance at waterfront parks
SALEM, MA – The City of Salem is implementing several changes in order to better manage the increasing number of visitors to several City parks. These changes will be in effect starting Saturday, July 25, and will remain in effect on weekends until further notice. As a reminder, masks must be worn in all City parks, including the parks below; for more information and exceptions to the mask order, please see www.salem.com/masks. When on any public beach, a physical distance of at least 12-feet is required.
Winter Island
Due to the need to ensure more physical distancing and manage park capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, non-resident parking will be restricted to 25% of the available parking (approximately 31 spaces) on weekends. No non-resident vehicles will be admitted into the park once this parking area is full.
The non-resident day parking fee to enter Winter Island will be increased to $25 on weekends.
These changes do not impact vehicles with a Winter Island Parking Sticker or required boat access regulations.
Forest River Park
To reduce the amount of trash in the park, the Department of Public Services will relocate all the barrels in the park to a more convenient location along the edge of the parking lot and will increase the frequency of trash collection. Visitors are asked to carry their trash out of the park to the relocated barrels. Signage to that effect will be installed.
Salem Police and Park, Recreation, and Community Services Rangers will increase patrols of the park during daylight hours and Salem Police will increase patrols of the park at night.
The City will conduct a license plate survey of the parking area during the day this weekend in order to determine if future non-resident parking restrictions are necessary in the park.
The parking lot at Forest River Park will be gated and closed to entry at night.
Salem Willows
Salem Police and Park, Recreation, and Community Services Rangers will increase patrols of the park during daylight hours and Salem Police will increase patrols of the park at night.
